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Entries with the tag: andrew peters

At 30 years old, Andrew Peters’ NHL career as an enforcer is over. After playing two AHL games this season, Peters has decided to accept an opportunity running his own medical distributorship than to try and extend his playing career any further.

“I loved every minute of it,” Peters told Sporting News. “It has to come to an end at some point. Hockey isn’t something that lasts forever, especially a guy with my role. You see less and less of it, which is a shame. It’s a pretty important part of the game.”

Futility in Sunrise has persisted for far too long, with the Florida Panthers on the brink of a dubious record after nine consecutive non-playoff seasons. Incoming general manager Dale Tallon has moved quickly in putting his stamp on the team with several transactions since taking over, but nothing to this point appears bold enough to turn his club from last season’s Southeast Division cellar dwellers into a postseason participant.

Sadly, more patience may be in order for long-suffering Panthers fans.

Even so, all is not lost for the NHL’s southernmost franchise, with several key pieces already in place for the future (and others right around the corner) and it isn’t as though the current roster is without talent as is. Still, a couple of major stumbling points remain for the Panthers. The 24 games they will play versus fellow Southeast clubs, three of whom look to be vastly improved and the fourth being the stalwart Washington Capitals, certainly won’t help and the expiring contracts for defenseman Bryan McCabe and goaltender Tomas Vokoun will have to be dealt with (and quite possibly dealt altogether), without either situation becoming a distraction.

SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has agreed to terms with LW Andrew Peters on a one-year, two-way contract.

Peters, 30, has appeared in 229 NHL games with Buffalo (2003-09) and New Jersey (09-10), registering seven points (4-3-7) with 650 PIM. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound winger paced New Jersey with 93 PIM last season. Peters recorded a career high 151 PIM with the Sabres during the 2003-04 campaign and led the American Hockey League with 388 PIM during the 2001-02 season.

“With the addition of Andrew, we immediately add a physical presence to our line-up,” said Tallon. “He brings an aggressive style of play and a dimension that our team needed to address this offseason. We look forward to his contributions to our club.”

The Senators’ injury-riddled lineup took another heavy hit with Devils tough guy Andrew Peters responsible for the latest calamity. He knocked winger Chris Neil out of the game with a knee-on-knee hit with six minutes to go in the first period. Neil had gone back to get the puck when Peters came flying in and smashed him, Peters’ knee making contact with Neil’s left knee.

Neil hobbled off the ice, went straight to the dressing room and did not return.

Senators GM Bryan Murray thought the hit was dirty. There was no penalty called.

“(Peters) led with his knee,” he said.

Neil blamed himself.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with it,” said Neil. “I put myself in a vulnerable spot and opened myself up. I got there late and he came barrelling in there. You give your lumps and you take your lumps.”

Among those players who showed up at the Prudential Center for physicals Saturday morning was former Buffalo Sabres fighter Andrew Peters.

The 6-4, 225-pound left winger is in Devils camp on a tryout basis.

Peters, 29, has played 200 NHL games and has 557 penalty minutes with seven points (four goals, three assists). Last season with the Sabres, his fifth, he played 28 games and had one assist with 81 PIM.

“We just feel the dimension he brings is unique,” general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “I’d spoken to him on and off. The decision was to come to camp. He’s here. We’ll go from there.”

Andrew Peters knows there’s still a place for enforcers in the NHL. He also knows Buffalo isn’t one of those places.

The Sabres’ designated tough guy for the last five seasons has resigned himself to the fact he won’t be back for a sixth.

“I don’t even know if there’s been a discussion with Buffalo and my agent at all,” Peters said by phone Monday. “I know that there wasn’t up until July 1, and I don’t think there has been one since.

“It’s unfortunate, but I’ve enjoyed my time here. I’ve loved my time here. I’ve been through good times and bad, with successful teams and not-so-much. I’ve made some lifelong friends and played with some unbelievable guys. If that’s what I come out of hockey with is great friendships and 200 games in the NHL — more than I ever thought I’d play — I did it with a great organization.”

Replays clearly showed Peters yelling, “he [bleeping] bit me” and the action was frozen on the arena’s HD board as Ruutu sank his teeth on to Peters’ thumb and ripped off the glove.

“I’ve never experienced that before,” said a stunned Peters, whose broken skin was bandaged but not stitched afterward. “I’ve been involved in a few altercations, too. I’ve never had anyone bite me before. I didn’t know that even happened for real. I saw the replay of it and it’s pretty evident he did bite me….

Facing several different media inquiries, Ruutu repeatedly proclaimed his innocence against the overwhelming video evidence.

TORONTO (March 12, 2008) - Buffalo Sabres’ forward Andrew Peters has been suspended for one game, without pay, for an altercation involving New York Rangers player Colton Orr in NHL game #1045 on March 10, the National Hockey League announced today.

The incident occurred at 20:00 of the third period. While on the players’ bench, Peters became involved in a confrontation with Orr on the ice. Peters was assessed a 10-minute misconduct on the play.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Peters will forfeit $2,807.49. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Peters will miss tonight’s game at Pittsburgh.

Update 10:45am ET: Video here shows the incident in question, just over one minute into the footage.